Yunnan Tibet Train - Under Construction Now

Yunnan Tibet Railway starts from Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province, extends to west Guangtong, which section is part of Chengdu Kunming Railway, after reaching Dali, the rail goes northwest to Lijiang along the famous picturesque Erhai Lake, then passes through the Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-La. According to a feasibility study report (FSR) conducted by the China Railway No.2 Bureau, the following direction may be that, the line will run across Luole Mountain and Baima Snow Mountain to Dechen, where is the border of Tibet and Yunnan, crossing Langcang River and Meri Snow Mountain to Tibet area, later it will share rail with Sichuan Tibet Railway in MarKam of Qamdo in Tibet, finally join the Lhasa Nyingchi Railway to destination-Lhasa.

Main Passing by Cities: Kunming, Guangtong, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Dechen, Markam, Bomi, Nyingchi, Tsetang, Gongkhar, Lhasa.

For now, tourists who leave for Tibet Tour from Yunnan have two options: flight and highway, the former one is time-saving and the later one is more economical.

Plane: If tourists want to flight to Lhasa from Kunming, there is about 6 direct flights and 8 transit flights available every day, which usually only takes 3 hours. Also, travelling to Nyingchi from Kunming by plane is another alternative, more than 15 transit flights you can choose.

Highway:Yunnan Tibet Highway is known as “The Paradise of Road Trip”. Many self-driving travelers select this route to experience the beautiful scenery along the road. Beginning from Kunming, passing through Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La, Yunnan Tibet Highway then joins the China National Highway 318 of Sichuan Tibet Highway in Markam. It normally takes 10 days to arrive Lhasa with full length of over 2,000 kilometers driving distance. Sightseeing include snow mountain, forest, glacier and grassland, thrilling but worthwhile. Due to the complex road condition, highway is not recommended for new comers.

Train: there is no direct train to Lhasa from Yunnan at present, passengers who would like to have train travel experience can take transit train in nearby Chengdu or Chongqing, which takes over 40 hours. Please notice that trains depart from these two cities every other day, not daily.

Our Top Yunnan Tibet Tours:

☛ 10 Days Yunnan Tibet Highlights Tour

☛ 12 Days Lijiang Shangri-la Tibet Essence Tour

Yunnan Tibet Railway has the lowest average elevation among the “five railways to Tibet. Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La are very famous destinations in Southeast China, thus,tourists have chance to enjoy leisure in old towns or Erhai Lake, roam in Dali in blossom seasons, have sun bath and play with cats in ethnic homestay, cycle around Lu Gu Lake, explore “the Lost Paradise” where holy snow-capped mountains stand, etc.

Apart from the charming natural scenery, there are different places of historical interest along the railway, especially in Yunnan and Tibet regions.